Clamp-coupling device for automatic paper-cutters.



No. 627,599. Patented June 27, I899.

C..SEYBOLD.

CLAMP COUPLING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC PAPER CUTTERS.

(Application filed July 11, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Wiinesses.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES SEYBOLD, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

CLAMP-COUPLING DEVICE FOR, AUTOMATIC PAPER-CUTTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent N o. 627,599,'dated June27, 1899.

Application filed July 11,1898. Serial No- 685,578. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SEYBOLD, a citizen of the UnitedStates,"residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Clamp-CouplingDevices for Automatic Paper-Cutters, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference'being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

My improvements relate to devices for coupling the clamp to the drivingmechanism in an automatic paper-cutter in that class of machines inwhich the driving mechanisms for the clamp and for the knife areconnected by a friction-clutch to hold rigid the paper, but to allow theknife to continue its operation by the slipping ofv the friction-clutchwhile the clamp stops on the paper. In machines of this class when theclamp is connected directly to the driving mechanism it is evident thatthe clamp-pressure will be. dependent entirely on the friction-clutch.NOW for very tough papers in which great power must be expended to drivethe cutting-knife through the paper the friction-clutch may be loaded toits extreme limit and still the clamppressure will not be sufficient tohold the paper. Heretofore to overcome this difficulty I have providedmeans whereby the clamppressure might be increased or doubled byconnecting the clamp-pulling bars with the clamp in such a way. that themoment the clamp should reach the paper the power of compression shouldbe at once doubled or increased in such amount as might be desired, asfully set forth in my Letters Patent No. 597,069, of January 11, 1898.

In the improvements set forth in my abovementioned patent, while therequisitejncreased power of the clamp is effectually obtained, noprovision is made for varying the clamping pressure with reference tothe height or thickness of the bundle of paper operated upon. With manyqualities of paper to exert the same clamping pressure thereon whenonlya few sheets are to be cut I that is exerted when many sheets aretobe operated upon gives too little pressure for the high or too muchfor the low pile. The clamp should exert more pressure with a highelevated position. with the clamp compressing the paper.

package of paper than with a low package. In machines of the class underconsideration, also, where it is desirable that the driving mechanismfor the cutting-knife should also operation; while the travel of theclamp de--- pends upon the height of the paper bundle to be cut, it theclamp-driving mechanism be coupled directly to the clamp, so that thetravel of the clamp is constant, and any provision be sought to be madeto increase the power of the clamp by increasing the pulling leverage inproportion to the height of the paper pile, provision-must also be madeto allow a more rapid movement of the clamp for the low pile than forthe high package of paper or the result Will be that the knife willreach the paper before the clamp, because it is evident that if weincrease the pulling leverage we will in exact proportion decrease theclamp travel unless provision be made to hasten the clamp movement. Itis the purpose of my invention, therefore, to provide these requisitesand to arrange for an automatic variable clamp-pressure indirectproportion to the height of the paper bundle and a speed movement whichwill always insure clamp-pressure before the knife begins to out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of apaper-cutting machine with my device attached, showing the clamp in itsFig. 2 is a similar view Fig. 3 is a front sectional elevation of theclamp-v coupling device, taken on lines 3 3 of Fig. 1.

A is a portion of the frame of one side of a paper-cutter.

B is one end of the clamp.

O is the clamp-driving shaft,connected with the clamp-pulling bars DD bythe crank E, keyed thereto, the pulling-bars D D being pivoted to theclamp at a.

F is one end of the knife-bar and G one of the connecting-rods'for theknife-bar to the knife-driving plate, one end of which is shown indotted lines at H. I

K is an expansion-band friction-clutch (shown in dotted lines) mountedon the clampshaft C and connected with the knife-driving bar II by barI, so that when the knife mechanism is oscillated the shaft 0 will beoscillated by the friction-clutch K. I have not illustrated these partsin detail, as they form no part of my present invention, and the meansfor driving the knife mechanism may be any of the well-known methods,while the method of actuating the clamp-shaft C is the same as thatshown in my prior patent, No. 511,972, of Jauuary2, 1804c.

In illustrating the novel features of my pres-. ent invention I haveshown but one side of the machine. It will be understood,however, thatthe clamp-coupling parts are all in duplicate, one set for each side ofthe machine, so that the description of one set of parts will apply tothe other set on the other side of the machine.

IIeretofore, as in my above-mentioned patent, No. 597,069, of January11, 1808, provision was made for doubling the elamppressu re upon theclamp reaching the paper pile, but no arrangement was suggested forvarying the pressure in proportion to the height of the package. Toaccomplish this in my present invention, I form the slot a in the crankE and pivot the clamp-pulling bars D D therein by the dog I), the studson the dogpivoting same to the pulling-bars. This dog is preferablyrectangular in cross-section and is smooth on its lower side, so as toslide readily on the base of the slot a, while teeth 6 are formed on itsupper surface to engage the teeth (Z on the upper face of the slot a inthe crank E, as will be hereinafter described.

L is an arm formed integral with or rigidly secured to the crank E. Theouter end of this arm is slotted or bifurcated and carries the pin e,through which the rod f passes loosely. The inner end of this rod fcarries the collar g, by means of which the rod is pivoted to thepulling-bars, the collar 9 being preferably mounted on a collar throughwhich the coupling-bolt passes, so that the couplingbolt may be used tobrace the pulling-bars D D together at the same time that it serves fora pivot-pin for the rod f. Surrounding the rod f and bearing between thecollar g and pin 6 is the coiled spring h, while outside the pin e andbearing between it and a plate on the end of the rod is a similar springZ, onlysomewhatstrongerand stiffer than spring 71. \Vhen the clamp is inits upper position, the crank E and its slot at are almost horizontal,and the weight of the clamp acting on the pulling-bars will cause thedog I) to rest in the base of the slot a out of engagement with theteeth (1 and free to slide in the slot. As the knife starts in itsdownward stroke,the clampshaft 0 is oscillated through thefrictionclutch and the clamp descends freely by its own weight until itreaches the paper. The moment the clamp reaches the paper thepulling-bars D D and the dog I) stop, and the further oscillation of theshaft 0 and crank E brings the teeth of the crank into engagement withthe dog, and the pulling-bars are locked at once to the crank.

As has already been stated, the pulling-bars and cranks are induplicate, one set on each side of the machine, and as one of the dogsmight not move in its slot as readily as the other without somearrangement to enforce immediate and similar movement of both dogs theymight not engage the cranks E at the same distance from the center ofthe clam pshaft 0 and the pull on the clamp would not be uniform at eachend. For this reason I provide the rod f, forming a connection betweenthe arm L and the pulling-bars D D, so that the oscillation of the crankIE will swing the bars forward and cause a uniform travel of the dogs I)in their respective slots in the cranks E. As above stated, thepulling-bars become locked to the crank E the moment the clamp reachesthe paper, and the subsequent oscillation of the clamp-shaft and crankexerts the pressure on the paper. After the pulling-bars become lockedto the crank to permit further movement of the crank and arm L the pin amerely compresses the spring 71, which is necessary, as the points ofattachment of the pulling-bars to the dog and rod then become fixedpoints.

During the operation of locking the dogs on the pulling-bars to theirrespective cranks it might sometimes happen that the outer edges of theteeth of the dogs and crank-slots would engage and the dogs not locksecurely to the cranks. If the tendency were for the dog to go forwardto make perfect engagement, the compression of the spring 7L wouldpermit this movement; but if the tendency of the dog were to move in theother direction perfeet engagement could not be had, and for this reasonI supply the outer end of rod f with spring Z, as described, so as toallow a slight back movement of the dog and pullingbars should it benecessary to allow perfect engagement of the parts. This spring l ismuch heavier and stiifer than spring 71., as it is only necessary toallow for a very slight movement of the dog, and in the back stroke therod f and springl must sustain the weight of the clamp in pulling backthe bars D and dog to theoriginal position in the slot of the crank.

From the foregoing description the operation of the clamp-coupler willbe evident. At the top of the clamp stroke the dogb is in a position tobe locked to the crank at a short distance from the center of theclamp-shaft C, so that if the package of paper is high the maximumamount of power is exerted on the package, while with each fraction ofan inch decrease in the height of the paper pile the pulling-bars lockto the crank at a corresponding greater distance from the center of theclamp-shaft, thus decreasing the power of the clamp in exact proportionto the height of the package of paper. Moreover, the clamp will alwaysreach the paper before the knife begins to out, as the clamp is free tomove by its own gravity until the paper is reached.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is V 1. In a clamp-coupling device for paper-cutters,a clamp and driving mechanism therefor, with sliding attachmentintermediate said clamp and driving mechanism normally free when theclamp is not in operation, and means for locking the clamp to thedriving mechanism, the moment the clamp reaches thepaper, at varyingdistances from the fulcrum of the driving power in proportion to thetravel of the clamp to the paper.

2. In a clamp-couplingdevice for papercutters, the combination, with aclamp and crank for operating same, of a sliding clutch intermediatesaid clamp and driving cranks, normally free when the clamp is not inoperation, and driving mechanism for locking said clutch to the cranks,the moment the clamp reaches the paper, at varying distances on saidcranks in proportion to the travel of the clamp to the paper.

3. In a clamp-coupling device for papercut-ters, the combination, with aclamp and pulling-bars therefor, of a driving-shaft, with cranks mountedthereon, said cranks being slotted lengthwise and formed with teeth onone surface thereof, dogs pivoted to said pulling-bars mounted to slidefreely in said slots when the clamp is not in operation, but locking tosaid cranks, the moment the clamp reaches the paper, at varyingdistances thereon in proportion to the travel of the clamp to the paper.

4:. In a clamp-coupling device for papercutters, the combination, with aclamp and pulling-bars therefor, of a driving-shaft, with cranks mountedthereon, said-cranks being slotted lengthwise and formed. with teeth onone surface thereof, dogs pivoted to said pulling-bars mounted to slidefreely in said slots one surface thereof, dogs pivoted to saidpulling-bars mounted to slide freely in said slots when the clamp is notin operation, btit looking to said cranks, the moment the clamp reachesthe paper, at varying distances thereon in proportion to the travel ofthe clamp to the paper, and double-acting springs act."

ing between said pulling-bars and cranks to enforce said slidingmovement of the dogs and to allow a slight backward movement thereof toinsure the looking to the cranks.

CHARLES SEYBOLD. Witnesses:

J. EDWARD SAUER, F. H. MEDERs.

